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Around 7:40am Thursday morning, a tractor trailor which was traveling east on Freeway Drive in East Orange struck a Honda SUV also traveling east. At the intersection of South Clinton Avenue, the car collided with the tractor trailer that was making a left turn. The SUV was thrown over the wall through a retaining fence – approximately 17.9 feet -- and landed on the eastbound side of Route 280.
Credits:
Jill Muller

Serious 280 East Accident Thursday Morning

Carolyne Volpe Curley

Thursday, April 18, 2013 • 10:47am

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EAST ORANGE, NJ - East Orange Police report that around 7:40am Thursday morning, a tractor trailor which was traveling east on Freeway Drive in East Orange struck a Honda SUV also traveling east. At the intersection of South Clinton Avenue, the car collided with the tractor trailer that was making a left turn. The SUV was thrown over the wall through a retaining fence – approximately 17.9 feet -- and landed on the eastbound side of Route 280.

Credit: Google Maps

Thursday afternoon, the office of Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray released a statement detailing that the SUV was driven by a 46 year old Irvington man who had to be extracated from the car and is now in critical condition. With him in the car were his family members, a 27 year old wife along with four children: boys aged seven, five, three and a one year old girl. All of the family are now hopsitalized at University Hospital in Newark. The 39 year old truck driver, who is from Pennsylvania, did not request medical treatment.

The Prosecutor has not charged the driver and the investigation is active and ongoing.

West Essex TAP became aware of the situation when, at 8:45am Thursday, MaryBeth Tucker Lentine commented to TAP, "Route 280 East is closed at exit 11 and Freeway Drive is a parking lot."

West Caldwell's Jill Muller captured the photo of the car wreck. "I was on the opposite side driving home from work, the traffic was terrible," explained Muller, a registered nurse who works at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. "Seeing this, I could only say a prayer and feel grateful."

Credit: Jill Muller

Chris See Cartwright of Montclair commented, "I drove past it. It was almost relieving to hear that they used the jaws of life to get people out of the car because I was certain that if the roof was pried open like that from the accident there would be no survivors. God bless."

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Acting East Orange Police Chief Thomas Koundry announced today that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the East Orange Police Department are investigating a motor vehicle collision in which six members of one family were injured.

A 46-year-old Irvington man is in critical condition at University Hospital in Newark. His 27-year-old wife and four children are also hospitalized. The children are ages seven, five, three and one year old. The three older children are boys. The youngest is a girl.

Members of the family were traveling east in a Honda SUV on Freeway Drive in East Orange. At the intersection of South Clinton Avenue the car collided with a tractor trailer that was making a left turn. The SUV was thrown over the wall through a retaining fence – approximately 17.9 feet -- and landed on the eastbound side of Route 280.

The father, who was driving the car, had to be extricated from the vehicle.

The 39-year-old truck driver, who is from Pennsylvania, did not request medical treatment.

At this time no charges have been lodged. The investigation is active and ongoing.

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